1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conference support apparatus, computer-readable program and teleconference system. More particular, it relates to a conference support apparatus, computer-readable program and teleconference system that electronically supports a knowledge creative conference.
2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 35 is a systematic arrangement diagram which briefly shows an example of the conventional teleconference system 100 (see Patent publication 1, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI06-77958, for example). The teleconference system 100 comprises a plurality of PCs (Personal Computers) 101, 102, 103 connected to each other via a network 104 as shown in FIG. 35. Each PC 101 to 103 includes a PC body 105 that contains a display and so forth, a keyboard/mouse 106, a sharing manager 107, and an application 108. The sharing manager 107 manages input/output of the application 108, peripheral devices and a disk drive (not shown) connected to the PC body 105, and communications between the PCs 101 to 103. The application 108 includes an editor for a word processor, spreadsheet software, drawing software and teleconference software, for example. FIG. 35 shows a teleconference that is held using the application 108.
An example of the teleconference using the teleconference system 100 shown in FIG. 35 is explained below. The PCs 101 to 103 are to be started up by the users prior to the beginning of the conference. The sharing manager 107 in the first started PC (for example, PC 101) among the PCs 101 to 103 is determined to manage proceeding of the conference. The sharing manager 107 in the PC 101 fetches a desired application 108 based on an instruction from the user and sends the application 108 to other PCs 102, 103. In such the condition, the user can perform various operations while viewing contents displayed on the display of the PC 101 based on the application 108 fetched in the sharing manager 107 of the PC 101.
The operational result from the user is sent via the sharing manager 107 in the PC 101 to the sharing managers 107 in the other PCs 102, 103 to display it on the displays in the other PCs 102, 103 simultaneously. The operational result from the PC 102 or PC 103 is similarly sent to the sharing managers 107 in the other PCs.
Such the arrangement allows the users to proceed the teleconference while viewing the operational results executed in PCs 101 to 103 in real-time.
The sharing manager 107 in each PC can manage peripheral devices and a disk drive connected to the PC as described above. In addition, it can remove a difference in environments from other PCs using a corresponding table. Specifically, even if the same file is stored on different PCs with different names, the use of the corresponding table in the sharing manager 107 allows all PCs to be set in the same environment to perform the teleconference.
Such the teleconference allows information processed by executing the same application to be kept in the same executive condition on computers that attend the conference.
When partial failure of the network or break of the PC power occurs, however, the use of the PC may be interrupted during the proceeding of the teleconference. If the use of the PC is interrupted during the teleconference, the following problem is caused.
FIG. 36 is an explanatory diagram which shows the interrupted use of the PC during the teleconference (see Patent publication 1, for example). As shown in FIG. 36, a teleconference system 200 has a different arrangement in the number of PCs from the teleconference system 100 shown in FIG. 35 and comprises a plurality of PCs 201, 202, 203, 204 connected to each other via a network 205.
It is assumed that a user employs the PC 201 to enter “abc” and another user then employs the PC 202 to enter “xyz”. Thereafter, the power of the PC 203 is failed. This case is explained below.
After the power failure of the PC 203, input/output information executed by the application in the other PC 201 or PC 202 can not reach to the PC 203. On the other hand, on a display 206 in the powered PC 204, “abcxyz” entered from the PC 201 and PC 202 is displayed. Similarly, on displays 206 in the PC 201 and PC 202, “abcxyz” is displayed.
Thereafter, if the power of the PC 203 is restored, the PC 203 returns to be able to attend the teleconference again. The PC 203 in this case, however, lacks “abcxyz” executed by the other PC 201 and PC 202 during its interruption. As a result, the interrupted PC 203 differs in the application executive condition from those in the PC 201, PC 202 and PC 204 that have continuously attended the conference from the beginning.
The user using the interrupted PC 203 is therefore difficult to proceed the conference together with the users of the PC 201, PC 202 and PC 204 that have continuously attended the conference from the beginning because of the lack of conference contents.
When the network or the PC fails, data may not be sent in a correct order during the proceeding of the teleconference. If data can not be sent in a correct order during the teleconference, the following problem is caused.
FIG. 37 is an explanatory diagram which shows the data not sent in a correct order during the teleconference (see Patent publication 1, for example). As shown in FIG. 37, a teleconference system 300 has a different arrangement in the number of PCs from the teleconference system 100 shown in FIG. 35 and comprises a plurality of PCs 301, 302 connected to each other via a network 303.
It is assumed that applications are executed in the PC 301 and PC 302 simultaneously. A user employs the PC 301 to enter “abc” and another user then employs the PC 302 to enter “xyz”. In this case, on each display 304 in the PC 301 and PC 302, “abcxyz” is displayed as shown in FIG. 37.
If any failure occurs on the network 303 between the PC 301 and PC 302, data “a” through “x” may not be sent in a correct order. In such the case, it is difficult to proceed the teleconference smoothly.
In the conventional teleconference system that supports a conference electronically, a function is provided to distribute the information fed to the public space from individual conferees to terminal equipment at all conferees or a common screen visible from all conferees to share the information. Others functions are also provided to edit the shared information simultaneously by all conferees and express (display, for example) the result without any contradiction in real-time.
Installation of such the functions complicates programs required for configuring the system, spending massive computational resources, easily lowering an operational speed, reliability and fastness, and causing a problem that makes it difficult to provide a high-usability system.
In the conventional teleconference system that supports a conference electronically, it is also difficult to arrange relations among information provided from conferees during discussion.